DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A 77-year-old woman was shot Tuesday afternoon in Delray Beach while sitting on a second-story balcony, police said.
The shooting took place just after 1 p.m. at the Village Square apartments, located on Village Square Circle.
Crime scene tape was posted around Building 3 at the complex.
Paramedics with Delray Beach Fire Rescue took the woman to a local hospital with critical injuries.
Police said the woman, identified by her grandson as Anne Pierre Louis, was an innocent bystander. No other details about her condition have been released.
"My aunt was out there with her, and she just came in and grabbed something," Stevenson Louis, the victim's grandson, said. "I heard she ran into the house [and noticed she was shot] and that's when they called the cops, I guess."
Stevenson Louis, who also lives at the complex, said he was at a gym when a friend texted him saying somebody got shot at his home.
"I called my cousin, and he said my grandma got shot," he said.
City officials said police secured the scene, and the community is safe. However, no one has been arrested in connection with the shooting.
"It is unusual that a 77-year-old woman sitting alone on her balcony would just be shot in broad daylight," Delray Beach Fire Rescue spokeswoman Dani Moschella said. "This is a mystery at this moment."
Several bullet casings were marked with evidence flags at the scene. At least two bullet holes, one just above a vent and another on the balcony could be seen on the apartment building.
Detectives were working to find out how many shots were fired.
Three Delray Beach schools — Atlantic High School, Delray Full Service and Village Academy — were briefly placed on limited movement due to the shooting. The schools returned to a regularly scheduled day by 1:49 p.m., according to the School District of Palm Beach County.
@DelrayBeachPD says this damage caused by a bullet from todays shooting that injured a 77 year old woman. I’ll have a live report from the scene at 5 on @WPTV pic.twitter.com/vFvp1hCB3n
— Janny Rodriguez (@JannyReports) April 18, 2023
Stevenson Louis said he can't understand why anyone would shoot at his grandmother, saying she's the sweetest lady.
"Come out and say something if you know something," he said. "It's best to get them off the street before somebody else gets hit."
Police said anyone with information about the shooting should call Sgt. Casey Kelly at (561) 243-7890.
The woman was shot less than a mile from where a 16-year-old was shot Monday in Delray Beach.
